“Evidently, I wasn’t the only one enamored of Chris. Through my incessant phone calls to KUGS to demand they play one or the other of the two songs they had in their rotation, I found out that his songs were among the most requested.†Carey Ross – What’s Up Magazine. . . .
Starting out opening for acts like Death Cab for Cutie, Mary Lou Lord and Dub Narcotic Sound System Chris Riffle made a splash on the Bellingham music scene. A favorite of Bellingham radio stations, he got signed and recorded his first album but the record label went under before they ever released it. He has now released his own album independently and been resurfacing around local Seattle clubs. . . .
Acoustic folk pop with nods to Ben Lee and Elliott Smith with catchy vocals that carry the listener through all the ups and downs of life. . . .
"The singer-songwriter-boy-with-guitar may not be a new pop template - and God knows for troubadours from the Pacific Northwest there is that lingering shadow of Elliot Smith to live under - but Washington state native Chris Riffle is something special.
From his early, cheeky folk pop fare like “Brief Love Song†and a bouncy boycrush ode called “Wonderboy†to moodier, more delicate songs – “Kiss on the Cheek†and the samba-flecked “Younger Years†(a personal favorite) there is much to be discovered in the ever-evolving Riffle.
In fact, I myself only discovered it recently. Fortunately for us New Yorkers, a while ago Chris made the move from the upper left hand corner of the country to the upper right, and at first I only knew of him as an East Village neighbor. That’s until he told me to check out his music, which I did – first on record, going back to his 2004 album “The Sun Is Upâ€, as well as newer material – much of it remarkable in its honesty, fragility, even wit. And live, at a recent show at the Living Room on the LES, Chris and his backing band impressed with a solid set that, while it had moments of melancholy, was more often a breezy good time.
Heartfelt and fractured – but still sunny, smart and sweet. That’s Chris Riffle. I’m eager to see where he goes next. "
-John Norris
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